The Bane Of Winter
by OrlithNightfire
Summary: Arthur/Merlin friendship only. When Albion falls into winters chill and something lerks in the woods killing the young. will Arthur and Merlin survive the encounter..or will winter claim them first?


Ok, Hi all. Been a long while since i have had the drive to write anything. This is my first Merlin Fanfiction so i hope you will enjoy it :)

Arther/Merlin friendship only

Disclaimer: I Do not own Merlin that belongs to the BBC. Cannot be held accountable for you being changed into a toad for reading this fic or for random bouts of magic.

The Bane of winter

CHAPTER 1

It was the cold he became aware of first, as it permeated his sleepy mind in the darkness. It was bone biting cold that heralded the falling snow of winter, the kind that no matter how tight you curl yourself under the meagre blanket it still cut through you like a blade. Merlin blinked in the darkness trying to gather his bearings, looking to the window and seeing no light he sighed. It must be near dawn but still not close enough for the warming rays of the sun to rise above the horizon. He glanced at the direction he knew the unlit candle sat

"Fyr" a whispered word and the candle flicked to life. He knew he was being lazy and just using the base word for fire but his mind was still fogged with sleep and the cold.

Deciding he would get warmer if he got up and moved around like he used to do when still at home in Eldor he rose and dressed quickly before he moved to the door. Merlin opened it quietly not wanting to wake the still sleeping Gaius as he lay on the cot in the study and main area of the physician's home. The old man had been tired of late, the cold of winter bringing a whole new line of aliments that he had to treat. Merlin wandered over to the fire, laying a good pile of logs on it to brining it back to roaring warmth. Making a mental note to gather some more wood later.

Cooking some gruel and grain, which he could just about handle without setting the whole workshop alight, he sat down to eat it. The warming food soon had him feeling better, stealing of the chill somewhat though it would always bite through the thin layers that a servant would own. Setting the cauldron to one side of the fire so it would stay warm but not burn Merlin decided he would get an early start on things With a final smile to the sleeping Gaius he walked out into the outer castle.

He couldn't help being brought up short as he passed one of the alcoves that looked over the courtyard. Seeing the castle twinkling white at the very thick layer of snow that covered the area. Seems it had fallen heavy in the night, there had been warnings little flurries but nothing like this. The land of Albion was in winter's icy grip.

Reaching the inner sanctum of the castle he passed the kitchens, seeing the cook only just beginning to prepare for the royals. To the rear of this area was a room filled to the roof with logs of wood. With a quick chat to the cook Merlin gathered a armful and began his trek down the halls to the princes chambers, he did not expect Arthur to be rousing at this early an hour but still tried to keep his step light as he entered. The flame in the fire was nothing but dull embers so he went about cleaning out the hearth before lighting a new fire to get it warm again the in chambers.

Merlin picked up the days laundry scattered round the floor and got some clothes ready for the prince to wear as he awoke. A small part of his mind wonders why he was being so diligent….so …so..serventy today. But there was nothing better to do and things weighed heavy in his mind today. Something oppressive that kept him on edge. Plus the fact he was a lot warmer than if he was dragging his heals as he usually does.

The sky was turning a orange glow spreading slowly over the horizon in darker hues the further away it got as Merlin left the prince still sleeping, wrapped in the thick blankets of his bed though he was not sprawled as he was usually to be found. The cold causing him to snuggle down so all that was visible was a tuft of blonde hair sticking out. Merlin wandered back down the steps, stopping a moment to watch the city slowly being bathed in orange light almost making it burn like the sky. The smell of bread was beginning to waft up from the town, as the baker's bread was almost ready. With a smile he continued on back to the kitchens smelling the bread and sweetness of honey as the porridge was coming to the slow cook. He wandered into the cleaning house seeing some of the washerwomen getting the large tubs of water ready to begin the day's laundry. The steam was rising steadily as they boiled more hot water for each basin. Leaving the clothes with one of the many washerwomen to clean, Merlin stayed for a while having a small chat with elder women he had come to know well.

"Morning Alvina. How is your granddaughter faring?" The woman's granddaughter had come down with a light case of pneumonia He had been helping Gaius on his rounds and the young girl had become quite fond of Merlin and would make him tell her stories of the prince.

"Oh Merlin. You are such a sweet child for asking. She is better thanks to dear Gaius. How is the prince these days? Is his arm healing?" The old woman asked kindly, she took an armful of Arthur's clothes and began to clean them in the water, the hint of sandal wood wafting from the basin waters as she dipped them.

The innocent question of concern for the young prince brought bad memories to the fore of his mind. Had it been only a month since the questing beast? Hard to believe in those short 2 days he had nearly lost Arthur, his mother then Gaius the only father he had ever known.

"He is well, if bored. His arm is almost fully healed though still stiff. He was going to be back to normal training today but I think the snow will have put paid to that idea" Merlin finally replied with a small laugh.

"Good to 'ear, good to 'ear. Now I best be getting on with this my young'en and you best be taking Arthur his breakfast" She gave Merlin a quick hug before shooing him on his way.

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Arthur was pleasantly warm as he swam up from his dreams. They had been dark again with flashes of the questing beast with dabs of Merlin for good measure. He can't quite grasp what he saw of Merlin as awareness caused the images to slip through his hands like water. But he knew Merlin had been in there somewhere.

"_Great"_ He thought _" not enough I get bit by the questing beast, I have to dream of it. Then dream of my idiot servant"_ He decided to get up and throwing the covers back he was surprised to find the room pleasantly warm. It had been growing steadily colder the last few days and he had woken with the room cold more often than not.

Looking to the fireplace he found the source of the warmth, the fire was roaring high on the hearth and warming the room. Arthur wondered which Servant had the fortune of mind to come in and slip in so quietly for that matter to stoke the fire. As if summoned the door opened and in walked Merlin with a tray of steaming honey porridge and some warm mead.

"Merlin! You are actually on time for once" Arthur made a great show of being shocked.

"Morning Sire," Merlin spoke, drawing out the sire as usual to wind Arthur up "I woke up early"

Merlin placed the food on the table and turned to help the prince dress " you better hurry before your breakfast gets cold"

Merlin helped Arthur into his clothes, as he did so Arthur also noticed the clothes he had shrugged off late last night were also gone.

"Merlin, who cleaned my rooms this morning and stoked the fire?"

"I did, as I said I woke early this morning. It was too cold to stay in bed, Mother always taught me the best way to warm up in winter was to move" Merlin replied, finishing the last clasp on the Princes thick jacket.

"Wise woman"

"I like to think so"

"Shame she ended up with such in idiot son" Arthur couldn't help but tease. It often was the highlight of his day to wind Merlin up. Though he would never admit it.

"Prat"

"I still don't know why I let you talk to me like that," Arthur mused out loud as he began to eat his breakfast. Still wondering why Merlin was being well more servant today.

"You'd get bored" Merlin replied automatically. Causing Arthur to look at him over his plate. The conversation from after the Questing beast coming to the fore. "What? You would."

"Why did you tell me those things?"

"What things?" Merlin was confused

"When you came in here, almost as if you were going to leave. No..not leave. Almost as if you expected to die. You never did tell me where you and Gaius went to"

Oh heck, he had hoped Arthur would forget that whole conversation. They had slipped in hoping not to be missed when they had returned from the isle of the blessed. But seems they had been and Uther had been in an uproar. Gaius had told a story of the fact he had gone to collect herbs for Arthur, but he had not been the best of health and Merlin worried for Gaius had rushed out after him. The king had seemed to buy that. Obviously Arthur still had doubts.

"We told you. It was to gather more herbs," Merlin bluffed

"You don't think you are going to die over herbs" Arthur now had his full attention on Merlin. Crap, Merlin would have to make something up…

"Fine, the herbs were already owned by someone. It cost Gaius a lot to get them last time. For more they wanted a life."

"A life? Sorcery!?" Arthur exclaimed rising from the chair.

"No. Gaius said it was…a cult that believes in blood sacrifices to the land to appease it. He thought he could talk to them. I wasn't so sure…" Merlin trailed off

"So you thought you would offer your life instead? Why not tell us, me! We could have gathered the knights and taken the herb by force?"

"I did say that to Gaius. But he said they would have disappeared before the knights would get close. And it all worked out in the end so not to worry" Merlin tried to gloss over it.

Arthur looked like he was going to continue his questions but there was a knock on the door

"Enter"

"Sire, forgive the intrusion but the king requires your presence" One of the palace knights had obviously just come from the king, his light armour over his red clothes of the royal family, all emblazoned with the Pendragon emblem. The gold dragon on red.

"I will be there shortly" Arthur dismissed the guard with a wave of his hand before gathering his long brown jacket and placing it over his form. "Finally I can go hunting. Father will surely let me out now. I am healed and back to full health"

"He won't" Merlin chimed in as he started collecting the remains of the breakfast

"He will."

"He won't" Merlin walked to the door and opened it Arthur following

"He will"

"He won't"

"He will! Don't argue with your prince. Besides how would you know what my father will say?"

"He won't….and look out the on the courtyard" Merlin continued on past the open arches with a smug smile.

"…….Damn it!"

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It moved in the woods, making no mark on the snow as it watched the castle from the darkened branches. It hungered, and lusted for blood as it roamed looking for its next prey. It was a ghostly figure, mutated by unknown forces, it had what was once a human's head in the right place, but next to it on its shoulder was a ghostly head of a bull. It almost looked like a giant in its size but the branches of the tree passed through it with no hindrance showing it had no substance to its hulking form.

It perked up as it saw a group of children running and playing in the snow. It smiled, the bull's heads eyes glowing red in anticipation of what was to come. Closer, closer, a young girl lagging behind. Forgotten by the young boys playing knights while throwing snowballs. _"Yes go further, leaver her behind" _It whispered on the wind as they travelled past.

The light playing through its ghostly form, eerie and ethereal as it moves closer to the lone girl. The trees seemed to quiver at it's passing as the quiet winter woods fall ever more silent like the grave.

"Bray, Corin, Morven. Wait up" the Childs voice sweet and innocent, it drooled more in anticipation.

The young girl stopped, she was no more than 9 seasons, her long hair trailing behind like liquid gold. She looked after the boys as they retreated behind a hill, never paying her a mind. She would never see another season. She felt grabbed from behind and tried to scream but the cold, colder than anything she knew before took her voice, her breath. Looking up at the thing that grabbed her, eyes wide in a silent terror as she beheld the ghost and the beast. Eyes burning red hot even as the creature brought its deformed human head to her. Pain and terror and cries for a mother all screamed on the silent breath…then nothing more as a life passes to be used to feed the monster as it slinks away.

The carcass discarded ripped and torn, white- pure snow now tainted red by the Childs lifeblood waiting to be found. The trees breath again as the creature walks further in, sated for now. A figure watches, mute anger at the monster that has invaded its forest, the newcomer stands like a man, walks like a man but its head is a horned stag.

Herne the hunter has returned to his forest and is not happy with what is dwelling within. No action it can take for this abomination is created by man and by man it must be ended and thus balance restored. So with sad eyes on the young life lost Herne walks back into his woods to wait.

TBC.

So ok, what you think so far? Not entirely sure where i am going with this so meh. Reviews mean love :)


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